Review – The Creep #0

Where do we start with The Creep? If you’ve been following Dark Horse Presents you’ll be aware of the 3 chapter mini series that ran in the pages of the book. If you’re not familiar with it, well today is your lucky day and we’re talking about this unique story all in one shot before the real thing kicks off.

Being a detective is never easy, you’re going through some of the worst cases and examples of humanity or what could be called humanity with a sliver of hope at the other end if you’re lucky. Add into the mix some hormonal issues and a massive frame and all of a sudden life really doesn’t seem nearly as promising. We join Oxel in a rough time of his life, facing down self employment debt, crappy local teens and a visit from his past coming back to dig up all his less cherished memories.

Naturally this is the highlight of the story though, from here we see Oxel take up an assignment that not only stirs up past emotional trauma but some intense psychological issues because of the case itself. It’s one thing to look into a random case that comes across the desk, it’s another when it strikes home and the trail itself has already been tampered with by those seeking the aid. Oxel has his work cut out for him in a domestic drama that looks to span much further than he’d prefer and given the connection he has, there’s no looking back on this one.

The Creep #0 is a good read, for those curious I suggest checking it out but to be aware that even though it spans 3 chapters of work there are only about 26 pages of actual content to read through and then you’re left hanging for more. Who is Oxel? What does his old love interest have to do with all this and why is are the flashback panels so amazing in their retro form?

Jonathan Case does a great job mixing present day and flashbacks together, the sharp contrast paints a solid break between the present day (blue/cool) and the yearning for yesterday (warm) and not only that but the memories are highly stylized presentations giving an almost idealistic representation of those days, the glory years before it all went so wrong. It compliments the pace setup by John Arcudi as the story moves along, bringing Oxel’s emotional struggle to a fuller life. It’ll be a hard wait for The Creep #1 to roll around, until then bask in the almost noir style case that gets unleashed through these pages and try to dig up your own conclusions.